The Services We Provide
Most dogs are valued by their owners and, on the whole, make a
valuable contribution to society. There are exceptions to this,
usually arising from the actions or negligence of a tiny minority
of dog owners.
Aggressive dogs, stray dogs, dog fouling and noisy dogs can all
cause problems of varying severity ranging from mild nuisance to
disease, serious injury and even death.
The Council has a role in trying to ensure that the acts or
omissions of dog owners do not adversely affect the health, safety
or enjoyment of others.
The Council has made an Order under the provisions of the Clean
Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 which enables it to apply
legal controls to:
- require owners to clean up any dog fouling
- exclude dogs from certain areas
- require dogs to be put and kept on leads in certain
areas
These controls are enforced by the Council’s Environment Support
Officers, who can be contacted by telephoning (01502) 523117.
Offences against the Order are punishable by fixed penalty notice
of £80 or prosecution through the Magistrates’ Court where the
maximum fine is £1000.
Dogs on Beaches
The Dog Control Order bans dogs from certain beaches during the
summer season (i.e. between 1st May and 30th September). In
addition to this, if you take a dog on the specified beaches at
other times, you must keep it on a lead.
There are four stretches of beach affected by these controls. They
are at Corton, Lowestoft, Kessingland and Southwold.
The total length of beach affected by these controls is about 1.6
miles. The total length of coastline in the Waveney District is
about 26 miles, so there are plenty of opportunities for everybody
to enjoy our beautiful beaches, whatever their preference.
Stray Dogs
Suffolk Police no longer have any responsibility
for dealing with stray dogs. All responsibility for stray dogs in
the Waveney District now rests solely with Waveney District
Council.
All enquiries about stray dogs must be directed to the Council NOT
to the kennels or to the Police.
If you have lost or found a dog, you can telephone the Council
between
9:00am and 4:00pm 7 days a week on 07770
220902
You will be asked for your name and address, your telephone number,
a description of your dog (including the breed, size, colour,
gender and any distinguishing features) and where it was
lost/found.
The law requires dogs to wear a tag when out in a public place.
Tagging your dog greatly increases the chances of it being returned
to you quickly if it should stray. You can also get your dog
microchipped to make it easily identifiable. A vet will be able to
advise on how to do this.
Found dogs
If we have received a report of a lost dog that matches the one you
have found we will tell you how it can be returned to its owner. If
we don’t have any information, we will try to make arrangements to
collect it. If we cannot collect it, we will advise you of the next
best course of action. You may be asked to take it to the Council’s
kennels yourself, or to hold on to the dog until we can arrange for
it to be collected.
Lost dogs
If we have your dog, or know where it is, we will tell you what to
do to reclaim it. If the dog is being held at the Council kennels
you must collect it within 7 days of the Council detaining it. You
will have pay a fee to the Council before you can collect it,
comprising a fixed £45 charge, in addition to kennel fees and any
fees incurred for inoculations and other veterinary treatment found
necessary. You will have to pay ALL fees due before claiming your
dog. Fees must be paid direct to the Council. You will not be able
to pay fees at the Kennels. After the seventh day, an unclaimed dog
becomes the property of the Council and we will try to re-home
it.
Fouling Legislation
The Dog Control Order makes it illegal to fail to clear up after
your dog if it fouls any land which is open to the air and to which
the public have access.
When you walk your dog, you should go equipped with the means to
clear up after it. You can dispose of bagged dog waste in any
public litterbin or your household wheelie bin.
Noisy Dogs
Barking dogs can be very annoying. We receive many complaints about
barking dogs every year.
Consultation
We would like to know what you think about these aspects of dog
control. If you would like to make a suggestion or a comment,
please do so using our
online feedback form (opens new window)
.